Louis Leterrier, director of 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, has said an early version of the film included Captain America, but the planned appearance was removed because it felt too dark. The revelation highlights how Marvel was considering connections between its characters before the Avengers crossover films established the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s wider ensemble.

Leterrier said the proposed scene involved Bruce Banner finding Captain America’s frozen body in the Arctic after travelling there to end his own life. The moment was dropped, though the finished film retained an Arctic sequence and later included a post-credits appearance by Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr.; Captain America eventually debuted in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger.